Aale Ahmad Saroor was an Urdu poet, critic and professor from India. He is best known for his literary criticism. In 1974 he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award by the Government of India for his literary critic work, Nazar aur Nazariya. In 1991 he was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award. He was awarded a special gold medal by the President of Pakistan on the centenary of the birth of Muhammad Iqbal.

Saroor was born in the Badaun city of Uttar Pradesh on 9 September 1911. He studied Science and graduated from St John's College, Agra. He completed his master's degree in English literature in 1934. From 1958 to 1974 he worked as professor and Head of Urdu at Aligarh Muslim University.

Saroor wrote extensively on Urdu poet Muhammad Iqbal. Suroor was the founder director of the "Iqbal institute" in Kashmir University which is now known as the "Iqbal institute of Culture and Philosophy". The "Iqbal Chair" was established at Kashmir University in 1977 where Suroor was appointed as Iqbal professor
Suroor authored many books. The following is an incomplete list of Suroor's books.

Khwab Baaki Hai : It is an autobiography of Suroor published in 1991.
Nazar aur Nazariya  (1973): Critic work which won Sahitya Akademi Award of Government of India in 1974.
Tanqidi Ishare  (1942): It was Suroor's first collection of critical writing.
Naye aur Purane Chirag (1946)
Tanqid Kya Hai?  (1947)
Adab aur Nazariya  (1954)
Jadidiyat aur Adab (1967)
Masarrat se Basirat tak  (1974)
Urdu aur Hindustani Tehjib  (1985)
Afkar ke Diye  (2000)

The following are some of books written by Suroor on Iqbal's legacy.

Iqbal aur unka Falsafa  (1977)
Iqbal:Nazar aur Shairi  (1978)
Iqbal, Faiz aur Ham (1985)
Iqbal ki Manviyat (1986)
Danishwar Iqbal  (1996)

Awards and recognition

Suroor was honoured by following major awards

Uttar Pradesh Urdu Akademi Award (1954)
Delhi Urdu Akademi Award (1973)
Sahitya Akademi Award (1974)
Pakistan President's "Iqbal Centenary Gold Medal" presented to Suroor by the High Commissioner of Pakistan to India for his contribution to Muhammad Iqbal related literature (1978)
Ghalib Award (1982)
Padma Bhushan by President of India (1992)
Majlis-e-Farogh-e-Urdu (1996) : Regarded as the Urdu-speaking world's highest literary award.
Iqbal Samman by Government of Madhya Pradesh (2001)
Aale Ahmad Saroor was born in Merut, India, the son of a police servant. His grand father Sadiq-al-Atee was the student of Ghalib. He started writing verses at the age of fifteen. Initially he wrote with the penname of "Bedil Meerathi", but in 1955, he started writing with his actual name "Aale Ahmad Saroor". He died in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

PUBLICATION :

* Sareer-e-Khama 
* Bar-e-Huroof 
* Main Ajnabi Sahi